COVID-19: IIT Roorkee develops low-cost face shields for AIIMS to battle deadly pandemic

Amid the battle with the deadly pandemic of Coronavirus that witnessed the shortage of face masks and other essential equipment for doctors, the researchers of Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT-R) have developed low-cost face shields for the healthcare professionals of All India Institute of Medical Studies (AIIMS) Rishikesh.

The face shield that has been developed using 3D printer costs as low as Rs 45, if manufacturing on a mass scale, the cost could be brought down to Rs 25. However, IIT Roorkee will first send a pilot batch of 100 face shields to AIIMS, Rishikesh.

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'Our humble thanks to medical professionals'

AIIMS Rishikesh has expressed gratitude and congratulated the IITians for coming up with such face shields that would help the health care professionals who are leading the battle against the contagious virus. 

"I would like to congratulate IIT Roorkee for a commendable job of developing face shields for the protection of frontline healthcare workers. I am confident that these face shields will be of utmost use not only for medical health workers of our Institute but for the whole country," said Prof. Ravi Kant, AIIMS Rishikesh.  

The shield has been developed at the 'ReThink! The Tinkering Lab', a technical facility open to all the students at IIT Roorkee. The Tinkering Lab provides a platform for students to do something great and inculcates ingenious spirit among them. It is the place that promotes innovation and experimentation.

Professor Akshay Dvivedi, Coordinator, The Tinkering Lab, IIT Roorkee said, "This face shield is our humble thanks to all the healthcare professionals who are untiringly doing their job for mankind."

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"We commend the healthcare personnel for their relentless efforts in taking care of COVID-19 patients. I am sure these face shields will help in minimizing the transmission risk of the disease," said Prof. Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee. 

The nation is now witnessing an alarming surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. With the nationwide lockdown in its 10th day on April 3, the number of COVID-19 positive cases in India stands at 2,546, of which 62 have succumbed to the virus while 2,322 cases are still active; 162 have recovered and been discharged according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 

(With ANI inputs)